Silica Gel Desiccants Packets

Q: Do I need to prepare my silica gel before I use it?

The silica gel sachets you have received are ready to use

Q: How do I store unused silica gel?

Unused silica gel needs to be kept in a sealed, air-tight environment until it is needed for use. It is recommended that silica gel is not left open to the atmosphere for longer than 15 minutes, as prolonged exposure will compromise their ability to adsorb moisture.

Q: How do I dispose of silica gel?

Silica gel is inert, non-toxic, non-flammable, non-reactive, and stable with ordinary usage. As a result, silica gel can simply be thrown into regular garbage. If, however, the silica gel has come into contact with a toxic or hazardous material, it could potentially adsorb the material and become toxic. In this event, the silica gel should be disposed of in the same manner as the hazardous material that contaminated it.

Q: Can I reactivate spent Silica Gel?

The gel sachets can be “dried out” when they are full of moisture and reused. Heat is used to reactivate sachets. To reactivate; 

1. Place silica gel beads into a large tray.
2. Use an oven at 105 – 120°C for two hours (time should be adjusted dependant on thickness of gel in the tray),
3. Check the silica gels beads periodically. Caution: the silica gel beads are very hot to touch. Drying silica gel in the microwave is not recommended as it is difficult to determine the temperature inside the beads.

In theory, there is no limit to the number of times silica gel can be reactivated, however in practice:

1. The adsorption capacity of silica gel can be destroyed by contamination with dust, grease or petroleum products.
2. Heating the material above 125°C repeatedly will both impact the performance of the silica gel but also risks the beads disintegrating into a powder form rendering them unable to function.

Q: Is Silica Gel safe?

Silica gel is not dangerous to touch, it is extremely safe to touch. It is essentially a synthetic version of sand that adsorbs water. Indicating silica gel which has a coloured chemical coating can be a mild skin irritant in some people.

If however the silica gel has been ingested we recommend you contact your local Poisons Centre or seek medical advice/attention.

From time to time, we hear about our customers pets ingesting the sachets. Though silica gel is chemically and biologically inert, the main risk is that packets can potentially cause an intestinal blockage if the whole packet is swallowed, especially in small dogs.  Furthermore, the sachet itself may have absorbed the substance it was protecting eg. Medicine, which may itself be toxic. We recommend contacting your veterinarian if you suspect your pet has ingested silica gel.

Q: Where can I buy Silica Gel?

Protection Experts Australia provides a wide range of Silica Gel (Desiccants) moisture absorbers. We have a wide range, including Indicating Silica gel to suit your needs. Browse our product range or contact us for bulk pricing.